Venture into the grounds of an historic estate in Cumbria and you'll find the vast "Lost Castle" playpark that families have hailed a "fantastic day out". Lowther Castle, just off the M6 in Penrith, has become a popular visitor attraction in the Lake District thanks to its huge woodland play park and vast estate gardens.
The Lost Castle itself is described as one of Britain's largest outdoor adventure playgrounds and built high into the canopy of the estate's woodlands. Think wooden turrets, slides, wonky walkways as well as swings and zip wires too.
It is inspired by the original 19th century Lowther Castle on the site, which is now mostly a shell. But it still makes an impressive sight as you walk through its ruins and on into the grounds at the main entrance.
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There are a series of themed gardens that visitors can walk through across the sprawling 130-acre site, as well as a large courtyard cafe. But for those with younger members of the family, it's the Lost Castle playpark that's the big draw for a day out.
Once you've paid your entrance fees, you get a map that helps guide you out around the grounds and the adventure begins. You can walk over the South Lawns or through a rose garden before heading into the woodland that leads to the Lost Castle.
You know you're getting close when you see the start of a woodland obstacle course with bridges, stepping stones and rope swings.
Once kids have tackled the adventure there, there's a wooden bridge leading into the main Lost Castle itself. Watching kids dash into the wooden fort like structure, through an arched door and then seeing the kiddie kingdom inside is a joy in itself.
I took my seven year old and three year old boys who both found plenty to them entertained across the Lost Castle site. Indeed, it was only the suggestion of getting an ice cream that was enough to lure them out after a couple of hours here.
They loved the twisting and turning slides, the wire shutes to walk up, the wonky wooden walkways and turrets with climbing frames inside. Then there was the zip wires and array of swings to explore too.
There's also a dedicated section of the castle for toddlers, with two sand pits, as well as another turret with a smaller slide suitable for the youngest guests as well as some comical mirrors to get kids laughing.
If you haven't taken your own food into the grounds, there's a kiosk cafe just at the entrance to the Lost Park serving snacks, hot and cold drinks and ice creams as well as toilets. The only downside we felt on our visit was that there wasn't more seating inside the Lost Castle itself for the oldies - naturally younger visitors won't be doing much sitting down here.
For those wanting a bigger range of refreshments, the large main Courtyard Cafe is back at the main entrance. Here you'll find a range of hot daily specials, as well as sandwiches and portions of chips which you can order to sit in or takeaway to eat outside.
While the castle is around a 90 minute drive from Manchester, it has become a popular destination for days out for families from across the region. It's also not far from Ullswater, England's second largest lakes, and one of the Lake District's most popular destinations for day-trippers and holidaymakers.
Families have hailed it a "real hidden gem" and "fantastic day out" in a string of five star reviews on Tripadvisor. Emma W wrote: "There is so much to do in the castle playground and even when you think you’ve done it all you find new bits. I’ve never been to a playground quite like it."
DanbertNoBacon from Wigan wrote: "Real hidden gem, amazing play area for kids (UKs biggest wooden outdoor play area they said) , lovely grounds, interesting history and Castle, and lot cheaper than we would have thought to visit. What a great find!"
Saraht2 from Crawshawbooth hailed it a "must visit for young children" in her review. She wrote: "This is our favourite north lakes day out with our young children.
"The playground is fantastic, gardens wonderful to explore and cafe good too."
The estate dates back to the 12th century, but the ruins you see today while built around the turn of the 19th century on the site of two previous affairs. The castle was a "grand affair" with gardens said to be the envy of the north.
But in 1957 the castle was demolished with just the façade and outer walls remaining standing. For over half a century, the place was empty while the gardens were lost to wilderness.
The estate is now operated by a charitable trust which raised £10 million from public and private sources since 2008 to make safe the castle ruins, create a visitor centre, and reopen the site to the public in 2012. They are continuing to fundraise and develop new garden areas across the site.
How to get there
Lowther Castle is at Lowther, Penrith, Cumbria. Use the postcode CA10 2HH for sat nav, it can be found just a couple of miles off the M6 junction 40 at Penrith, although if travelling from the south it's recommended to exit at Junction 39 and follow the A6 north for 8 miles.
The castle and gardens are open every day from 10am to 5pm and there's free parking on the site. Dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens, but are not allowed on the adventure playpark.
Until the end of June there's also a special display of 10,000 porcelain daffodils in the gardens next to the Countess' Summerhouse. You can also buy one of the daffodils which can be collected once the incredible
Tickets into the castle, which includes access to the gardens nd the playpark, are priced at £10 for children and £14 for adults, or you can get a family pass for two adults and up to three children for £45. It is recommended to book online ahead of your visit to avoid disappointment, especially on weekends and through the school holidays.
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